The Night Race
Chapter 1 Foot Wing paced back and fourth, stopping every few moments to lick rocks off of her paws. There was a lot of whispering all around her, so she bent her ears towards her fur to block out sound. She didn't want to talk to the others, she rarely did. Currently, she and the rest of the Cheetahs were in a small groove in the earth. A few dens had been dug into the groove and it was mostly sheilded by trees, but it was a temporary home. The Cheetahs was a group of about twenty cats, Foot Wing being one of them. There were four main ranks: Young, Runner, Second, and Leader. Young included kittens that had just been born up until about four seasons of age. Runners was basically any cat who wasn't Young anymore. Only about a moon ago, Foot Wing and her brother, Light Wing, had graduated from young to Runner. Foot Wing looked up as a brown and gray spotted tom ran into camp, a few leaves in his mouth. This was Rock Flight, cureently the Cheetahs' Second. In other words, he was second-in-command and would be leader if anything happened to the current leader. Behind Rock Flight, a pure white she-cat stumbled in carrying a large amount of leaves. This was Snow Fly, Foot Wing's and Light Wing's mother, and also one of the three healers of the Cheetahs. "Thank goodness!" Dark Pace, a small, dark black tom Runner, ran over to them. "Dawn Step and Bramble Chase moved her into Spirit Pace's den." Rock Flight and Snow Fly nodded, running over to a small hole near the bottom of the groove. Dark Pace looked around, and saw that nearly all of the Cheetahs were staring at him axiously. "She's fine. Snow Fly looks like she's found the herb they needed, and all three healers are looking after her." He waved his tail to dismiss them. The Cheetahs reluctantly left. Most left the groove to hunt, but a few sat outside Spirit Pace's den. Dark Pace padded over to Foot Wing. He was Foot Wing's father, and one of the most respected Runners. "Foot Wing, don't just stand about. New Moon is only a few days from now, exercise, hunt, do something." "I'm not going to fall behind, Dark Pace." Foot Wing assured him. She glanced worriedly at Spirit Pace's den. "But... will Swift Stalker be okay?" "I'm sure she will." Dark Pace pushed his daughter up the side of the groove. "Now go!" Chapter 2 Foot Wing suddenly stopped running, her momentum trying to keep her going. She had been runnign in circles for what seemed like eternity, but no news had come from the groove. She was about to make her way back to the groove to see if anything had happened when a black and white tabby tom dropped down in front of her. "Ow owow." the tom cried, rolling over and standing. "Light Wing! Are you hurt? Don't tell me you sprained a paw or anything?!" Foot Wing started examining her brother ears to tail-tip. "I'm fine, I'm fine! I just fell from the tree." He flicked his tail to a branch not far overhead. "Don't you dare get a broken leg three days before New Moon!" she looked over her brother making sure his legs and paws were still fine. "I told you, I'm fine." Light Wing meowed, stepping away from her. "Don't worry about me getting left behind this New Moon, worry about Swift Stalker." Foot Wing stepped back, dread filling her. "Is she going to be alright?" "I was talking with mother. Swift's really weak after her kitting. Even worse, Spirit Pace is considering leaving the kits behind so they don't slow us down." "R-really?!" Foot Wing was surprised, Spirit Pace was a kind leader. She never thought the elader would ever even consider something like this. "We can't leave the kits behind they'll be killed! Swift Stalker's been so excited and she nearly gave her life kitting them!" Light Wing waved his tail defensively. "Tell Spirit Pace, not me. I'm just a messenger." Foot Wing withered her anger dying. "I can't go against the leader like that." she whispered. Light Wing shrugged. "You're so shy around the others. If you don't speak your mind, who will? If you want your thoughts heard, speak them." and he ran off. Chapter 3 Foot Wing sat silently as the Cheetahs gathered around a large tree stump. A white and gray striped she-cat, Spirit Pace, sat atop the stump and waited patiently. Light Wing leaped gracefully over one of the Young, Swift Feather, and sat beside his sister. Together they looked up at the sky. The sun was dipping below the horizon. The moon wasn't visiable. Running Scale, one of the mothers, swept up Swift Feather and two other Young. She kept looking over at a black and gray she-cat with two tiny kits beside her. Swift Stalker and her doomed Young. Foot Wing watched as the rest of Cheetahs stared at the mother and kits. Suddenly, Spirit Pace spoke. "As we all know, it is only a few hours until we must go. But this time there is some terrible business." she sighed and stook her head. "The Night Race is dangerous. If we slow down, if we trip if we stop to pick up a kit who has been dropped we will die. We can't afford to lose another Runner to this. I have given this a lot of thought, and I have decided that Swift Stalker's injuries are so great we will be slowed down if we have to take care of her and two newborns." "So you're just going to leave Swift Stalker's kits behind for the monsters?" Comet Pad, a Mother as well, spoke up. Spirit Pace slowly nodded. "I'm sorry, but we can't be slowed at all." she glared around at the individual Cheetahs. No one else challenged her. "The Night Race begins soon. Gather your energy, drink some water, and make sure your legs are working fine." With that, the leader hopped off the stump. "I knew you wouldn't do anything." Light Wing sighed, standing up. "I'm going to go console Swift Stalker." Foot Wing stared at her paws. Should she have said something? Could she have saved the kits if she had just spoken up? The thought of chasing after Spirit Pace and saying something now made her shrink in fear. "Maybe the monsters don't get kits left in twoleg houses." she whispered. Light Wing was about to walk away, but he stopped when he heard this. "Swift Stalker!" he called. He grabbed his sister by the tail and dragged her over to the greiving Mother. "Light Wing? What is it?" the she-cat looked tired and miserable. "We can leave your kits with twolegs! They'll survive, and if the monsters change direction and we run back here we can visit them." Swift Stalker stood, a small smile on her face. "I'll be so happy if they can live, but I can't run to the twolegplace and have enough energy left over for The Night Race." "Foot Wing and I will take them." Light Wing meowed confidently. Foot Wing didn't protest. It was the least she could do. Category:Fanfiction